1. Field of the Invention
This invention broadly concerns a device designed to eliminate the pressure areas under a saddletree and impingement to natural movement of the Equine by the framework of the saddle, most often referred to as a tree. More particularly, this invention is concerned with a device consisting of 4 protective shields used against the horse not as padding but to dynamically distribute pressures while correctly positioning said tree on the equines back, concurrently maintaining position of said device, and providing necessary ventilation for said animal and giving close contact to the rider.
2. Description of the Prior Art
1. Many different approaches have been used over the centuries attempting to alleviate the horse from excess and damaging pressures created by the saddletree while carrying it's intended load. At this time none have been completely successful. In past and present the emphasis has been on protecting the equine from the whole saddle. Therefore pads and panel systems have concentrated on insulating the complete load bearing area contacting the equine, of said saddletree. Such pads comprised of: felt, fleece, foams, gels, air, strips of leather, and plastic panels cannot completely follow the drastic changes in shape of the equine's back with even weight bearing capacity. The FLEXIBLE SKIRT SADDLE panel system with a memory was first invented by myself, Roy L. Brown, (U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,734, May 24, 1988). Problems arose in the use of this advancement for weight distribution under the saddle. It would bounce and easily slip foreword on the animal and couldn't carry weight in the depression behind the scapula in movement Said depression is constantly changing shape not only from the rotating scapula and contracting muscles, but also the bending of the body of the equine when asked to turn by the rider. One side of the back shortens while the other side lengthens as the horse bends his torso in turning. When said panels or flexible skirts are used attached to the tree or separate, the results are less than desirable to both horse and rider. I know this from first hand experience over the last 18 yr. The float and rebound of said weight bearing panels isolates the rider from the horse and can cause extreme chaffing on the equine's back. Special girths and rigging had to be made and adjusted per an individual animal's anatomy to keep such a system in place reasonably well. If the flexible skirt panels are used behind the scapulas, soring was immediate and severe, the edge of the panel being very thin edge and not made of a rounded and flared shape as a saddletree bar usually is. Therefore in use, the plastic panels must be positioned over the shoulders, thus creating negatives referred to above that had to be dealt with separate of normal saddling.
2. My next attempt to correct the above problems was; Roy L. Brown U.S. Pat. No. 5,435,116 Jul. 25, 1995, Racing saddle. It attempted to move with the scapulas more passively by cutting the panel into a series of fingers reinforced by a strip of nylon webbing at the leading edge, to use said bending forces in unison. It was a slight improvement over my earlier patents but still could not get down into the depression created at the back of the scapula. It still had the problem of allowing the saddle to slip up over the shoulders and onto the neck in the downhill or during quick stops.
3. My next attempt to carry more weight in the depression at the back of the shoulders consisted of a saddle pad with pockets for shims, of which the rider tried to fill said depression behind the shoulders. Roy L. Brown U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,616 Oct. 3, 2000. This pad helped carry the weight in the depression but once the shims were set to the shape of the animal at rest, said shape changed in movement. As well the rider had a hard time knowing how many shims were needed to obtain the optimum results. It was best used with the flexible skirt saddle and did not have broad application outside of that design.
4. I have mainly given examples of my own patents which are associated with the saddling and trying to carry weight over a larger area than is possible with just a tree or regular saddlepads. Saddlepads presently available in the industry try to protect the complete area of the equine's back that is exposed to the saddle, very unlike this new invention. The regular saddlepad can do little to keep a normal saddle from impinging on the rotating scapulas in the downhill or in sudden stops. Rigging and girths often have to be specialized to individual animals for optimum placement of the saddle on a given equine's back.